Title: Anomalous Days
Summary: Reborn never imagined that a simple screw up during a mission would lead him to the weirdest person he had ever met. Now he just needs to make sure that this person doesn't learn about his identity while being in the body of an eight-year-old.
Rating: M
Pairing: Eventual R27
And some more of this story. I'll probably start placing stories on hold to finish others in order to lighten up my load *sigh* But I already have two more on the way because I can't keep my mind straight...
Beta'ed by WhiteAngel128 and Ankou13.
Chapter 3
Reborn didn't understand why he had come back here of all places. He didn't want to but he had to admit he was curious about the man. He had left in the morning, once he felt better, but hadn't been able to escape Tsuna and complete his mission until the brunet had forced a packed lunch into his hands. Compared to before, his body had almost recovered, though he still had a few shivers here and there. His fever had broken sometime during the night and he felt like he could do anything, but he knew better. He had to take it easy or else he could simply fall sick again. Taking care of his target had been straightforward once he was well enough. He alerted his employer of his success before hanging up soon after. Despite completing the mission, he didn't have any place to stay and he needed somewhere to hide for a while. He couldn't afford to leave just yet, not when there were armed men running around looking for him.
Which brought him back to the brunet's place. The mansion Tsuna stayed in wasn't exactly fancy; it was large enough to contain a family of people, but small enough not to garner too much attention. It was gated, with cameras here and there and was heavily forested to prevent wandering eyes. There were no statues, nothing fancy to make it stand out in the front, just a flat yard with random patches of flowers. This told him that Tsuna was a simple man that liked things to feel homey. Reborn jumped over the gate with ease, making his way back to the front door. He would normally enter as he pleased but being forced out just because he broke in would put a damper on his plans. Still, his curiosity about the brunet was strong. The man was unusual after all.
Ringing the doorbell, he waited for the response while his eyes glanced around the surroundings some more. His sharp ears picked up the sounds of footsteps and then the clicking of the lock. The door opened and a familiar head poked out, looking down at him.
Tsuna blinked, he hadn't been expecting the other to actually return and so soon either. The boy looked like he wanted to leave and he respected that, but to come back… Now that was odd, still, it wasn't unwelcome. "Ah, hello Ryan."
'Ah, that's right. I gave him a fake name.' Reborn wiggled his nose and nodded, tilting his fedora downwards in greeting. "Chaos, Tsuna."
The brunet sighed, not enjoying the lack of response from the boy, but stepped aside to let him in. "You're back sooner than I thought. Or are you hiding from someone?"
The hitman snapped his eyes up at that from below his fedora, refusing to give himself away. He couldn't let anyone know about his profession much less his identity. "No, I'm just tired and need somewhere to rest."
Tsuna felt the other lying, it was hard to tell with this one, but he was familiar with people trying to hide the truth. Regardless, he went along with it. Locking the door behind him he walked towards the kitchen, wanting to start on dinner since it was beginning to get late into the night. He had been hoping to go out but it looked like his plans had been tossed out the window before they even happened. "Are you hungry? I'm about to cook dinner."
"Yeah, I'll have something to eat."
The brunet smiled at that and went into the kitchen, quickly pulling out ingredients to start the meal. He wanted to make something more complex, perhaps some… Wait, this was a child he was cooking for… Perhaps he should cook something simpler and more suitable to an eight years old boy's taste. Then again, Ryan hadn't complained about the food last time. Shrugging his shoulders, he went back to his previous dish: chicken piccata.
"Ah, remember the room you were sleeping in before?" Tsuna glanced over as he allowed the chicken to cook in the pan with the mixture of flour, salt and pepper. He got a nod in return and smiled. "You're welcome to use that room again. I haven't changed the sheets yet so it might look a little messy from when you used it."
Reborn lifted his fedora off his head, letting his usual spiky hair fling out. "Thanks. I'm quite amazed you would allow a stranger such as me to come into the house like this without asking any questions."
The brunet chuckled. "I do that a lot. I mean, if you're not here to harm me, then what do I need to be afraid of?"
The hitman blinked, it was true. He wasn't here to hurt Tsuna at all. He had just wanted a place to stay until things cooled down - nothing more, nothing less. Still, it was odd how easily he slipped into the brunet homey pace. The man was overly friendly and overly welcoming, it was too much, and yet, just nice.
Still, despite all of his thoughts, the brunet did know how to cook a great meal.
Tsuna had found this "Ryan" quite adorable at how suspicious and defensive he got at times. It had its annoying moments but the child easily went along with things afterwards, never minding one thing or another. Going to bed had been simple, easier than Tsuna expected. He remembered a time long ago that his lightning guardian, Lambo, who was the youngest of the group, would always make a fuss about going to bed early. Ah, his friends and family, he would need to call them soon to see how they were doing and perhaps invite them over, too. He missed them being here, but he certainly didn't miss the chaos they brought with them.
In the morning, Tsuna had completely expected the child to leave early and never came back again, but instead Reborn had stayed. Tsuna had been a little surprised as he peered at his clock, seeing that it was eight in the morning, and glanced back at the bedroom door the little hitman lay behind. The Vongola boss had managed to finish off a large load of his work and was just about to make some breakfast, but he wanted to check if his guest wanted some as well. It would be rude not to ask. Besides, the child looked like he needed a good home-cooked meal and some rest. Gently knocking on the door he slowly opened it, poking his head in;.
'Ah, still in bed, I see.' Tsuna chuckled quietly to himself and stepped further into the room, making sure to keep his footsteps quiet, his presence was almost unnoticeable. He stopped right in front of the child, watching him sleep peacefully for a few moments. He took that time to better observe the adolescent, who oddly didn't act like an adolescent. If anything, Ryan acted much older than his real age. But whatever, perhaps he had been forced to grow up sooner than expected? It wasn't uncommon after all.
Settling onto the side of the bed, he reached over to thread his fingers through the soft hair. The spikes were easy to pass through and the boy twitched for a second before relaxing into the touch, still completely out. The brunet continued his massage, lightly patting the boy on the head, until Reborn began to stir.
At first, the hitman was completely content, feeling at peace, until he realized that there was someone touching his hair. Reborn had almost snapped himself up to attack until he took a moment to get a better grasp on the situation. He knew from all his years as a hitman that it was better to know what he was getting into before doing something completely stupid, and that was what he did. 'Is Tsuna stroking my hair? Why?' It was odd, but not unwelcome and he rotated his body slightly to get a better look at the older man, his black eyes opened. The two stared at each other and Tsuna just gave a warm smile.
"Good morning, sleepyhead."
Reborn stared some more, he clearly hadn't been expecting such a greeting. Years of being in the underworld had made him lose what would be considered warm. "What are you doing?"
"Waking you up. I wanted to see if you would like some breakfast."
"Breakfast? Oh," The hitman slowly sat up to get a better look over everything and sighed. "Sure, thank you."
Tsuna still stroked the hair, well aware that Reborn was leaning against his fingers, and didn't quite want to pull away just yet. The way the child was acting was just too adorable. Still, he couldn't sit here forever and eventually pulled away with a soft smile. "I'll get started on breakfast. See you downstairs." He stood up and began to make his way towards the door. Just as he was about to open it, he peered back for a moment and smiled before finally moving on. Reborn simply sat there, unsure what to do next, and eventually pushed the covers off him. It was breakfast time after all and he refused to miss a good meal.
"Are you leaving again?"
Reborn snapped his head up, his fingers gripping onto the doorknob. He hadn't been expecting that he would be caught on his way out, but it seemed the brunet had a sharp sense of what was going on around the house. Anywhere he tried to go, Tsuna knew right away. After eating breakfast, Reborn had taken a long shower to clean himself off, enjoying the hot water scorching his skin. The steam quickly filled the room; it was great compared to the cold air. Afterwards, he had wandered about the place, trying to find out more about the brunet, but there was nothing much he could work with. Besides the bedroom and study that belonged to his host, he had ventured through everywhere he could. Despite his search, there were no personal photos, no items that would help him identify more about Tsuna's past and present life - nothing.
Still, as much as he wanted to stay at the place, he needed to make sure that his tracks were covered and wouldn't cause any trouble for the kind man who had helped him. Reborn peered back towards the brunet who was slowly making his way down the stairs, his footsteps silent against the marble floor. The hitman almost wanted to sigh, releasing his hold on the door, and took another step outside. The cold air breezed past him and he peered outside towards the trees that prevented him from seeing the streets on the other side. This mansion was really isolated from the rest of the world and it was nice. Everything was just so peaceful and relaxing. It wasn't exactly the type of place he would enjoy but it was wonderful to have this feeling every now and then.
Tsuna kept moving closer, his eyes watching over the raven, and wondered what was going to happen next. "Ryan?"
The hitman sighed and leant against the door frame. Reaching up, he flicked his fedora upwards to allow his dark eyes to examine the brunet. For some odd reason, he enjoyed seeing the concern and worry within those eyes and knew it was being directed only at him. It was amusing to see. "I'll be back."
With those three words Tsuna relaxed, his shoulders slumping down in relief and he stopped moving. "I see. That's good to hear," He gave a soft smile and peered straight into those dark eyes. "Well then, before you leave, would you like to take some packed lunch with you? Or some snacks? Maybe an extra jacket for protection against the cold?"
Reborn shook his head, amused by the motherly affection the brunet gave him. 'He must have raised some children before or at least some siblings. He looks too young to be a father just yet.' He closed the door slightly to alert the other of his intentions. "No, I'm fine. I'll be back again later when I start to feel hungry. I must thank you for your hospitality though."
Tsuna chuckled at that and stepped closer, kneeling down to the hitman's level to show him respect. He was beginning to figure out the tiny boy, it was clear to him that this 'Ryan' was much older than he appeared, or at least more knowledgeable than the average child. "It's nothing. My place is open to you anytime. If I'm not here, you're welcome to break in, though I might not recommend it due to the security I have installed."
The hitman almost wanted to laugh at that. "I doubt your security system could stop me."
"We shall see. Just don't destroy anything, alright? I'd rather not have to cover the damage."
Tilting his fedora downward in amusement, he chuckled. "I can't always promise that."
Tsuna shook his head, standing back up, and placed his hands onto his hips. "If you damage anything, I'll start charging you. And if you don't have any money, I'll make you work it off by cleaning this entire mansion. That'll be punishment enough for you and no stealing either. I don't accept such dirty money."
"You really are a strange person," Reborn retorted, stepping further into the garden and took one last glance back. "I'll come back sooner or later today. See you, Tsuna."
"Ah, take care."
'Definitely have to come back,' The hitman almost wanted to break out into a smile, but refused, shaking his head to continue down the path. 'I think I just might like it here.'
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